Mt. Vernon Register-News

Local

October 3, 2008

RLCD examines Hamilton County property

By TESA CULLI

tesa.culli@register-news.com

BENTON — A section of Hamilton County which was annexed into the Rend Lake Conservancy District doesn’t pay taxes or have representation on the RLCD Board, a discovery made after work on codifying district ordinances and some court documents found.

“In 1968, a portion of Hamilton County petitioned to come into the district and were annexed,” RLCD board member Jere Shaw explained. “There were 19 sections of land, which encompasses 19 square miles. It’s 16 sections in Dahlgren Township and three sections in Knights Prairie Township in Hamilton County.”

According to RLCD Manager Keith Thomason, when he was first hired by the board, he was part of a briefing on the history of the district, and the issue was mentioned.

“In that briefing, we heard that way back a long time ago, Hamilton County had in some way been associated with the district, but at some point were removed,” Thomason said. “We never knew why, and the district had been doing the same thing for 40 years. Now we have two questions: Were they part of the district and how did they get out of the district?”

Although the issue is still being researched, a court order was signed by a judge and entered into the record in Franklin County court — the county which RLCD documents on annexation would be filed.

RLCD Ordinance 43 outlines that in 1968, an election was held to determine whether the real estate would be part of the district, that the election was held and the results canvassed and the order entered that a majority of votes cast were in favor of joining the district.

“And whereas the board of trustees of the Rend Lake Conservancy District has determined that it is to the best interest of said district that said property be accepted and that the proposed additional territory be annexed to said district,” the ordinance states.

In addition to the properties in Hamilton County, 40 acres of Moores Prairie Township were part of the vote and annexation, according to the legal description prescribed in the ordinance. The ordinance was passed on Dec. 17, 1968.

Thomason said he has sent out official requests from all three counties involved — Jefferson, Franklin and Hamilton — asking for copies of “whatever records they can find about the organization of the district during these years.”

“They have hundreds of years of records, and we hope they’ll be able to find it,” Thomason said.

“Of course, records are only as good as the person who filed it 40 years ago. Hopefully, we had some good people in office and we’ll be able to shed light on whatever happened. ... We just have to give them some time to do their work and see what they can find.”

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